Duck hunter&#39;s drag



Feb. 19, 1952 CASLOR 2,586,003

DUCK HUNTERS DRAG Filed April 7, 1949 1/2 velyfol": John D 00610!"- Patented Feb. 19, 1952 o-FFicE nner; HUNTERS DRAG .JohnD. Caslor, stvittr, Manitoba, Canada Application April, 1949, Serial No. 86,027

want. (01. -4s 1) My invention relates to-new and iusefuliiimmovements in duck hunters dragsgannbject of my invention being to provide a. device of the character herewitl iin described whereby. shot ducksand the like falling into water caniberetrieved from an adjoining piece-of land without the necessity for boats :or excessive wading.

A further object of my invention is towprovide a device of the character herewithin described which is capable of being launched by handtand retrieved for further use.

A still further object :of invention. is. to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is capable of being directed while floating on the water in order to engage the shot bird.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is readily carried, simple in operation, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in view, and :such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled :in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the -arrangement and construction of parts :such as will hereinafter be described, reference being had to the accompanying. drawings in which: i

Figure l is a top plan view of my device in the launching or folded position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my device in the floating or open position.

Figure 3 is a perspective fragmentary view of one end of the wing-bar showing an alternative means for opening same.

In the. drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

During the hunting season many birds after beingshotfallinto-bodies of water nearby,.necessitating either extensive wading or the-=use-of a boat in order to recover same. Due to the nature of the terrain normally associated with duck hunting and the like it is extremely difficult to obtain boating facilities and wading is restricted considerably as often the depth of the water increases rapidly upon leaving the shore line.

Consequently many birds are i'lo's't during the season which is a matter of aggravation to the majority of hunters. The present invention relates to means whereby a bird falling in water may be recovered from the shore, limitations. as to the radius of action of. the device being governed by the throwing capacity of the .operator.

Proceeding now to describe my invention in detail, it will be 'seen upon reference to the accompanying drawings that :my device comprises a "centre-bar l. of elongated rectangular monfiguration manufactured preferably from. wood or hollow metal or plastic possessing floatation characteristics. The nose end 2 of the centrebar '1 is notched as 'at 3 and carries apair of wing-bars 4 hingedly secured atithe endsfi thereof one each side of the centreebar :l. by means of the hinges 6.

The wing-bars '4, manufactured from similar material to the centrebar 'I are .also elongated rectangular members and are. held normally, in.

the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 and L2, in what I define as spring-spread position or open V-formation as clearly shown in Figure 2. This position is accomplished by means of a coil-type spring I secured to the -wing-bars 4 on the outer faces 8' thereof and extending around the nose 2 of the centre-bar I being positioned within the notch. 3 therein. The position of the hinges 2'6 with relation to the wing-bars 4 causes the ends 5 thereof to engage with the sides 9 of the centre-bar I when said wing-bars are extended, the angular relationship of the wing-bars to the centre-bar being governed by the inclined end faces H] of the wing-bars 4.

In order that the wing-bars 4 may "be held in parallel closed relationship to the centre-bar l during carrying and launching, I have provided a locking means collectively designated H including a casing "I 2 of box formation secured to the end ['3 of the centre-bar I. A shot-bolt it in the form of a pin engages with :a suitable aperture within the end plate l5 o'f' the casing t2 and extends through supporting plate 4 15 into an open-ended notch or aperture ="l-'|-formed 'wi' thin the end [3 of the centre-bar l. A-ccil-sprrng H surrounding a portion of the pin 14 reacts between thei-nner face of the end-plate P5 and a washer I 8 welded to the pin thus effecting an endwise bias to the pin M in the direction at the notch ll.

Bolt receivers l9, consisting of 'angulated brackets, are attached to the outer ends 2-0 of the wing-bars 4 and are apertured as at 2| to receive the operating end 22 of the shot-bolt M. Reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings will show that when the wing-bars are folded parallel to the centre-bar l the bolt receivers 19 lie within the notched portion [1 of the centre-bar I, in overlapping relationship, the portion 2 2 of the bolt ll passing through the aperture 2 l An anchor cord 22 extends from the outer en of the shot-bolt l4 and comprises a convenient length of cord or line the opposite-end o'f which is anchored to the shore or QtherWise secured by theoperator. Inthis connection a heavyduty fishing line h'as :beenlfoundito :be preferable, some hundred. ifeet being .za convenient ilengt-h for normal operation.

I In iaper atlon. the winer bars 4 are foldee parallel with the centre-bar and the end 22 of the shot-bolt i4 is engaged within the apertures 2! of the bolt-receivers Hi. In this position it will be appreciated that the aforementioned coiltype spring is under tension exerting an outward bias to the"wingbars 4. When a bird falls into the water the operator launches the device in the manner of a javelin causing the device to fall substantially .beyond the bird and if possible in aligmnent therewith. The opposite end of the anchoring cord 23, which is held by the operator upon the shore, is pulled sharply, the inertia of the device, which is floating upon the water, enabling the shot-bolt Hi to be withdrawn momentarily against the pressure of spring ll. As soon as the portion 22 of the shot-bolt Hi disengages with the apertures 2| within the bolt receivers Hi, the aforementioned spring I causes the wingbars to'take up the position shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

The device is then pulled slowly towards the shore, the bird engaging within the acute angle formed between either of the wing-bars and the centre-bar, whereupon it may be drawn to shore.

If the device has landed out of alignment with the bird, then by walking to the left or right the operator can cause engagement of the bird within aforesaid acute angle.

Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings shows an alternative method of causing the wing-bars to take up the open V-formation in which case the spring I is not required. A drag-paddle 24 is secured to the outer ends 20 of the wing-bars consisting of a planar paddle inclining outwardly from the wing-bar as clearly shown in the drawing. The locking means ll hereinbefore described is similar in construction and operation, a bolt receiver 25 being provided as in the previous embodiment.

In operation, the device in launched as hereinbefore described, whereupon the shot-bolt i4 is withdrawn and the device pulled towards the operator. Paddles 24 engage with the water and cause the wing-bars 4 to' assume oppositely outspread angular relationship with the centre-bar l in a similar manner.

,Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely difierent embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A hurlable and floatable duck-hunters drag for landing floating, shot ducks, comprising in ..combination a floatable centre-bar, a pair of floatable spring-spread wing-bars for the purpose specified, hingedly secured to one end of said centre-bar, means for locking said wingbars against outward spring-bias to the opposite end of said centre-bar, and an anchor cord connected to said locking means for releasing said wing-bars from the latter upon pulling the same so that said wing-bars assume oppositely outspread angular relationships to said centre 4 parallel contiguous relationship with said centrebar and on either side thereof, to the opposite end of said centre-bar, and an anchor cord connected to said locking means for releasing said wing-bars from the latter upon pulling the same so that said wing-bars assume oppositely outspread angular relationships to said centre-bar. 3. A hurlable and floatable duck-hunters drag for landing floating, shot ducks, comprising in combination a floatable centre-bar, a pair of floatable wing-bars for the purpose specified,

hingedly secured to one end of said centre-bar,

a coil-spring connected at its ends to one and the other of said wing-bars adjacent the locus of hinging, means for. locking said wing-bars against outward spring-bias to the opposite end of said centre-bar, and an anchor cord connected to said locking means for releasing said wingbars from the latter upon pulling the same so that said wing-bars assume oppositely outspread angular relationships to said centre-bar.

4. A hurlable and floatable duck-hunters drag for landing floating, shot ducks, comprising in combination a floatable centre-bar, a pair of floatable spring-spread wing-bars for the purpose specified, hingedly secured to one end of said centre-bar, means for locking said wing-bars against outward spring-bias to the opposite end of said centre-bar, said locking means consisting of a casing onone end of said centre-bar, a spring-loaded shot-bolt within said casing, bolt receivers on the outer ends of said wing-bars projectable into said casing, and an anchor cord connected to said locking means for releasing said wing-bars from the latter upon pulling the same so that said wing-bars assume oppositely outspread angular relationships to said centre bar.

5. A hurlable and floatable duck-hunters drag for landing floating, shot ducks, comprising in combination a floatable centre-bar, a pair of floatable wing-bars for the purpose specified, hingedly secured to one end of said centre-bar, drag paddles secured to the outer ends of said wing-bars, means for locking said wing-bars in parallel contiguous relationship with said centrebar and on either side thereof, to the opposite end of said centre-bar, said locking means consisting of a casing on one end of said centrebar, a spring-loaded shot-bolt within said casing, bolt receivers on the outer ends of said wing-bars projectable into said casing, and an anchor cord connected to said locking means for releasing said wing-bars from the latter upon pulling the same 'so that said wing-bars assume oppositely outspread angular relationships to said centre-bar.

JOHN D. CASLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 44,368 Gardiner Sept. 20, 1864 651,724 Peterson June 12, 1900 945,091 Hanel Jan. 4, 1910 2,107,489 Marcelli Feb. 8, 1938 2,444,597 Erickson July 6, 1948 2,471,231 Miller May 24, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 625,588 France of 1927 

